Freddie's Focus
For Parents & Carers
- Issue 67
- December 1, 2023
Freddie's Focus
For Parents & Carers
- Issue 67
- December 1, 2023
Things to celebrate
- It was lovely to welcome parents into school for the Year 11 core examination event. Thanks to those who attended and those who provided valuable feedback.
- Last week a group of our students attended a ski trip at Chill Factore. A great time was had by all.
- On Wednesday we began our Personal Development curriculum. Your child will be taught a PD lesson one hour a week per fortnight.
- On Thursday and Friday morning this week, we hosted a breakfast for our Year 11 students who are all embarking on Mock Examinations next week. This was to give them all a pre-exam boost and let them know that we are with them all of the way.
- On Thursday a group of our students attended a Dance trip to watch ‘Edward Scissorhands’ at the Lowry.
- Sporting Success this week
- The Y8 Rugby team were brilliant on Wednesday night competing against various Wigan schools. Their attitude and performances was outstanding. Well done boys!
- Extra- Curricular attendance has been strong across all year groups during lunchtime and after school. Well done to everyone getting involved and taking part.
- Y7/8 students had a fantastic day taking part in the wigan school games festival. Students participated in Kin ball, basketball, curling and much more. Our students finished in third place which is a great achievement.
Year 11 Examination Support
As your child continues their journey through Year 11, we want to do all we can to support you in helping them to complete effective and vital revision at home. In November we held our Core Examinations event which was open to all year 11 students and their parents/carers, offering 30-minute sessions across the core subject areas. Led by specialist teachers from English, Mathematics and Science, subject-specific revision strategies were shared and modelled. Guidance through the exam specifications and given expert advice on how to support your child in the run-up to their mock exams, and in the months leading to their examinations.
Click on the icon below to learn more about the resources prepared to help your child with their studies.
How we learn
Over the past couple of weeks we have focussed on Cognitive Load and how we support your child in school so that they do not get overloaded and can therefore learn more effectively. By establishing strong routines, we are able to build procedure that become habits.
Habits become part of students. They behave in the way that they need to behave, without thinking. And that means time and head space to think about the things you want them to think about- the learning. Routines are the foundation of good behaviour. They take time to communicate and embed. But nothing is worth your time more.
Homework and Self-directed study
Here at Freddie’s, we focus on six types of homework to help our students broaden, consolidate and extend their learning. Below is an explanation of why we try to set ‘Apply it’ homework or encourage our students to self-direct their study time at home:
Microsoft Office
Did you know that your child can access Microsoft Office at home for free? As a student at Fred Longworth High School, your child is allowed to download a fully working free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use on their computer, smartphone and tablet whilst they are a student at our school. Click on the button below to learn more.
Satchel:One
You can keep track of your child’s homework using Satchel:One. It is advisable to remind your child to get into the habit of checking their homework on Satchel:One regularly. Relying upon notifications is not the right approach and we advise students to turn off notifications so that they are not disturbed by them.
Homework Club
Please remind your child that homework club is available to all students Monday-Thursday in the Library (apart from Monday week B) where support and IT equipment is is available.
Attendance
We want to do all we can to support your child to be in school every day and ask that you support this important message from home, encouraging your child to avoid missing curriculum content through absence.
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents and Carers,
As you will be aware, next week sees the beginning of the Year 11 Mock examinations. A lot of support has been provided to the students in the run up to these exams – I would like to wish all the students the very best of luck with this important set of exams.
Could I please ask all parents to remind their children of the importance of good manners in the community. The vast majority of our students are superb ambassadors for the school, for themselves and their families; however, a minority let themselves down with their behaviour outside of school. We continually remind students in school of the importance of good manners – as the old adage says ‘manners cost nothing’.
Finally, do you currently receive Child Tax Credits and haven’t applied for free school meals? A letter and eligibility check form has been sent to all parents this week by email. Please return any completed forms to reception. A copy of the letter and form can also be found here.